


What Ties Us Together

by Siriuscelestial



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gen, Oneshot, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Soulmates, Rare Pairings, Romantic Soulmates, Series of Oneshots, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, rarepairs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:21:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27825952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siriuscelestial/pseuds/Siriuscelestial
Summary: Soulmates are not romantic. They aren’t all fluff and joy and beauty. There is no happiness in a future where everything is planned. Even then, in a life of turmoil and despair, my soul intertwined with yours. Sort of Soulmates! AU? Warning: Rarepairs.
Relationships: Gray Fullbuster/Erza Scarlet, Juvia Lockser/Lyon Vastia, Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia, Yukino Aguria/Rogue Cheney, Yukino Aguria/Sting Eucliffe
Comments: 5
Kudos: 18





	1. Gray and Erza: Bound by Fate but not by Heart

_Soulmates exist. They aren’t magic, but a type of modification. A genetic sign that appears on the inner patch of skin of the dominant forearm. It will manifest as a symbol; in the shape of a soul, the soul of one’s significant other. A sudden appearance, like an artwork painted by the gods themselves, will grace one’s body, forever tying their future to a path of glory. For a soul mark to appear is a gift. It is the ultimate brand of happiness._

There isn’t a day that goes by without hearing about a soul mark manifesting. Magnolia is, after all, a city that thrives on the romances and fantasies of its people. The guild of Fairy Tail is no different. 

And Gray’s sick of it. He doesn’t want anything to do with soul marks; frankly, it’s a nuisance and completely unnecessary. A mage doesn’t need romance, and certainly not some stupid artwork on their skin either. Not that he isn’t happy when his fellow guildmates find their soulmates. He was truly elated when Elfman and Evergreen sheepishly showed their painted arms. He congratulated them with all his heart, just as the rest of the guild did. 

So it really wasn’t that he despised the mark. He just found it redundant and highly inefficient. Why romanticize about something that you have no control over? It will come when it needs to. Life goes on regardless, right? Nothing to worry about, nor fuss over.

How wrong and how right he would be. 

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It’s not a particularly special day. Nothing extraordinary is happening; he isn’t even on the job. He had planned to join Natsu and Lucy, or Wendy, but by the time he had arrived at the guild, both parties had been gone for hours. Even Juvia had left early to work. As aloof as he may seem, he’s not keen on taking a request by himself. So he figures he’ll just relax and take a day off at the guild. 

It would come as a complete coincidence that Erza happened to also take the same day off. She was happily eating cake (who does that in the morning, seriously?), undisturbed by his entrance. 

“Good morning, Gray. Sleep well last night?” She asks, friendly and welcoming. The knight’s eyes never leave her snack.

“Fine, I guess. Natsu and Lucy left already?”

Mirajane, her trademark smile gracing her face, merely chuckled. “Yep! Happy found a request for hunting fish, and practically dragged them out before I could even register what was going on.”

Gray sighed. There goes his plan for the day. He seated himself next to Erza, who was practically licking her plate by now. It’s nothing out of the ordinary; they’ve known each other since they were children, and sitting next to each other has become more of a natural habit than an intentional thing. They sit in pleasant silence (any morning without Natsu’s passionate yelling is a pleasant morning), save for small talk that arises whenever the thought of speaking comes. 

He spends the rest of the day at the guild, spending his time equally with whoever was there. Sometime he played with Asuka, another he sparred with Elfman, later he talked with Gramps. It was an uneventful morning, with nothing that could even be labelled as a highlight. Natsu and Lucy don’t even return at sunset, so he simply heads home after he’s had dinner at the guild. 

If there was something that truly would be different, it would be the fact that he walked home alone with Erza. The red-hair was calmly striding next to him, their paces matched to perfect harmony from years of being together. Even then, the walk home was nothing special. If anything, it was so familiar and natural that it never even really occurred to him that he rarely is alone with Erza nowadays. 

It simply felt right. From the quiet atmosphere (neither were really the cheery type to chatter) to the slow walking pace, nothing seemed at all special. 

As such, he’s utterly flabbergasted, outright horrified, when his mark appears on his forearm after he’s done showering. It’s a sudden appearance, almost as though an invisible artist had randomly chosen his arm as their next masterpiece. The lines swirled, and the colors bloomed as they slowly wove themselves into art. 

For moments he thinks that Natsu or Happy is messing with him. But the moment he realizes just what the lines had morphed into, he drops on his tailbone in a mixture of terror, surprise, and absolute shock.

His soul mark is huge, stretching from his inner wrist all the way to the bend of his elbow. It shines so beautiful, unnaturally realistic, on his arm. A pure silver sword, straight and powerful, finds its way up his skin. Wrapped around it is the most gorgeous shade of red – no, the most gorgeous shade of scarlet. A lustrous scarlet ribbon, weaving its way around the sword.

It takes him less than a minute to recognize the owner of this soul painting. And he’s horrified.

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The shop is in a back alley, far from the wide-open streets. It’s not somewhere Gray would go, had he been in his right mind and his life was still on its rails. However, considering how in shock he was, and how dire his desperate need to hide his forearm is, he has no choice. 

The owner is an older woman, who merely gives him a nod as he browses the store. His eyes are spinning, and he can barely register what is written on the small glass bottles that line the shelves row after row. He snaps out of it only when the owner gives him his directions.

“The second shelf. Third one counted from the right.” She says, voice raspy but darkly understanding.

Gray stiffens at her intuition, but recovers enough to give her a curt nod before snatching the bottle from its place. He fumbles to pull out his money, fingers shaking so much they are vibrating. She only sighs and taps the table lightly with her smoking pipe.

“Forget the payment. I’ll keep it free for you this one time, boy. The magic only lasts for a day. You will feel a sudden coldness on your skin; that’s when you know that the mark will reappear soon. You’ll have to reapply more to hide it again.” Gray bites his lip as she gives him a sharp glance. “And, one word of advice. This magic is only temporary. It’s best you learn to face the truth.”

Gray doesn’t give her any more time to speak, rushing out of the shop as fast as he could. His fingers and the bottle in his hand feel strangely cold; a feeling he’s never had ever since he became an ice mage.

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He hides it well for the first two months. Even the Master doesn’t realize the magic he’s soaked himself in. For all the guild, Gray is still the same hot-blooded Gray that they know. 

Juvia, for her part, treats him the way she always has. Fawning over him, being as pushy as she could possibly be without a sense for personal space. And being the romantic that she is, all she talks about is how her soulmark will undoubtedly appear as shards of ice. Gray doesn’t doubt that she believes he is her soulmate with all her heart.

He grows increasingly disappointed in himself for each time he fails to tell her the truth. It’s so hard; both lying and staying quiet. Yet that just shows how successful he is in his facade. If even the person who watches him the most doesn’t realize he’s hiding something, he figures he’s done a pretty good job.

Only he isn’t the least bit happy about it.

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Team Natsu goes on a job in some town a few days away from the guild. It’s nothing special, not even a job worth mentioning, but it does pay good money. With Lucy screaming about her rent payment coming up, the job’s come at the right time.

Gray wasn’t against going. He’s far too used to covering up his soulmark that he can do it without the blink of an eye. For the first two days of their trip, no one notices either, so he counts himself safe for the time being.

On the third day, when the girls and the cats have more or less gone to sleep in their respective tents, he peels his arm warmers off, revealing the artwork underneath. It’s faded with the potion he sprayed earlier that morning, but clear enough to shine in all of its aesthetic beauty. The mark is so beautiful he finds it repulsive.

Screw his life and the obstacles it throws at him.

He’s about to spritz the potion over the exposed skin again, until a familiar voice speaks from behind him.

“You’re hiding something.”

Gray quite literally jumps, immediately pulling his rolled arm warmer back over the mark. He turns around to see sharp eyes and cherry blossom hair.

“Natsu, what the hell!? Jeez, I thought you were already asleep?”

The dragonslayer merely deepens his frown, ignoring the mundane question. His eyes narrow at the sight of Gray gripping his forearm, and lets out an animalistic growl.

“Spill.”

The heaviness in his best friend’s tone startles Gray. As much as Gray adores and trusts the friend he calls his brother, Natsu isn’t exactly the serious type. Even in a fight against villains, there’s always a lighthearted touch to his voice, a sort of ecstasy that Natsu simply can’t hide.

So it comes as a surprise to hear the dark, heavy tone his friend has. Added with the solemn, concerned expression, Gray is more than taken aback.

“Spill what?”

Better to feign ignorance than confront him.

But Natsu doesn’t buy it. The corner of his mouth raises in irritation, and for a moment Gray braces himself for Natsu to explode. Yet the dragonslayer doesn’t explode into screams and shouts (something so very _not_ Natsu), and only lets out a tired sigh.

“You have a soulmark, don’t you?”

Gray’s breath hitches. Shit. He didn’t count for Natsu to be intuitive.

His friend clearly sees his shock and fear, so he explains himself.

“Gray, your stripping habits are practically a part of you. Yet you make sure not to strip off your arm warmers. Furthermore, you rarely ever wear arm warmers to begin with, but you’ve been doing so for the past month. So, it’s pretty obvious you’re trying to hide something. And the only thing I know big enough that causes you to hide is a soulmark.”

The calm, concise deduction that comes from Natsu’s lips in a quiet whisper is so drearily realistic that it feels like Gray’s been dumped over with cold water. A seemingly terrifying slap back into reality.

He opens his mouth to respond, but Natsu cuts him off.

“Don’t give me a bullshit answer. Spill it.”

Gray clicks his tongue in annoyance, but pulls off his arm warmer. Natsu crouches down to take a better look. 

His friend’s eyes widen a fraction at the sight. Gray turns away, feeling as though someone’s taken off his skin and laid him bare to bone. 

Natsu’s jaw hangs slightly ajar, but he lets out a small sound of understanding. The picture, though blurry, is unmistakable. Undeniable in the person it is.

“...I see.”

Gray suddenly feels a desperate need to cry, which he probably does end up doing, considering the wetness of his cheeks and Natsu’s soft pats on his back.

It takes a while for him to calm down and find his voice again.

“It appeared two months ago.”

Natsu nods, his silence prodding him to continue.

“I… didn’t know how to tell you… with Juvia… and everyone talking about Juvia’s love… and Jellal…”

The dragonslayer nods again, his expression is passive and accepting. He waits a split moment for Gray to keep talking, but the ice wizard is winded once more.

Natsu lets out a slow breath. “I get it.”

Gray bites his lip. He still feels like shit, though having his best friend hear him out has lifted a burden. He feels a tad bit lighter.

“Are you going to tell them?”

Gray looks at him. Natsu frowns lightly and continues on to explain himself.

“Are you going to tell Juvia and Erza?”

The one question he prayed Natsu wouldn’t ask. The one question he doesn’t want to answer, nor knows how to.

“I don’t know.”

Natsu doesn’t make a sound beside him.

Gray clarifies. He does know.

“I don’t know… how.”

The fire wizard lets out a sigh of understanding. For a moment, Gray thinks that maybe, just maybe, Natsu might be hiding a similar secret. 

But the dragonslayer doesn’t move to tell him anything, only standing up to stretch his legs. Then he turns to give Gray a sharp look.

“You should tell them.”

Gray turns to retort, but silences himself when he sees the firmness in his best friend’s face.

“They deserve to know.”

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The following day, they’re back in the guild by afternoon. Throughout the entire time back, Natsu is the same as he always has been. He doesn’t let last night’s conversation show, which Gray is utmost grateful for.

Except for the one glare Natsu sends his way right when they are about to enter the guild doors.

 _Tell them._

The message is loud and clear.

Gray purses his lips and steels his nerves. He’s not sure if it was intentional, but Natsu immediately rouses up a fight in the mess hall once again, giving him the perfect opportunity to pull Juvia outside.

The girl is ecstatic at her beloved man pulling her from the wrist.

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Juvia isn’t a fool. She may be imaginative, and a little too much of a romantic, but she’s no idiot. She knows when things aren’t the best, and can read a person’s expression with a mere glance.

Especially when it comes to her beloved Gray-sama.

“...What is it?” She says, her voice quiet and light. 

Like she’s stepping on eggshells.

Gray takes in a deep breath. He’s got this. He has to.

“I… have a soulmate. My mark manifested.”

Juvia’s eyes widen, and her heart immediately sinks. Judging from the man’s expression, she knows it isn’t her. Moreover, it’s probably someone she knows too.

“I see.”

There is momentary silence between them, as Gray tries desperately to build his feelings up again. 

Juvia does so before him.

“Can I… Can I see?” She asks. If she stays unknowing, she knows she’ll probably tear herself apart thinking about it.

Gray stiffens, but nods in agreement. He extends his arm and slowly pulls off his arm warmer. It feels ten times heavier beneath his fingers.

Juvia gasps lightly as she sees the mark. And her heart drops more. The mark is so clear, so intricate, so breathtakingly beautiful it leaves no words for objection. She’s researched so much about soulmarks; the more detailed the pattern, the stronger the bond.

It’s so strong on Gray’s arm it leaves her completely torn. There’s nothing she’s seen more beautiful than that sword and ribbon.

Gray looks at her, quiet and waiting. His arms shake in anticipation.

Juvia hugs her chest, trying to alleviate the pain in her heart. “I… I…”

Gray looks at her, encouraging her to speak.

“Gray-sama… I’m… I’m sorry.”

It breaks Gray’s heart to see her so crestfallen. Regardless, he still brings himself to give her a smile.

“I understand… Juvia.”

For the next few days, Juvia does not appear at the guild.

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Erza is quiet as she listens to Gray’s words. He’s more confident this time around; maybe because he realizes just how important this confession is.

The knight gives him a small smile when he finishes. Then she unhinges her armour, revealing her own arm. 

On it are clusters of shimmering ice crystals, wrapped with black swirls in a demonic pattern all-too-similar to his demonslayer form. 

She knew.

Gray’s jaw hangs open, bafflement obvious as it adorns his face.

“It was around the same time yours showed up, Gray. I did the same thing you did, and tried to hide it. I… wanted to believe it was Jellal.”

Of course she did. Everyone in the guild knows well how much she loved him.

“But… something in me kind of knew. That he wasn’t the one. That we weren’t exactly… meant to be together.”

Gray nods. He thought the same. They rub their own forearms gently, caressing the painted skin.

“So… what should we do about it?”

Erza gives him a mirthless smile. “You know, Natsu ratted me out. He realized I was hiding it.”

Gray laughs. So Natsu knew from the beginning.

The S-class mage continues, smiling wider as she sees his laugh. “He told me… that nothing really needs to change.”

They both share smiles at the words. Leave it to Natsu to pull them back into their senses. Of course. It wasn’t the Fairy Tail way to put everything onto fate. Just because a painting on their arm might tell them a little about who they are, they don’t really need to live by it. It doesn’t dictate their lives.

They do.

And really… nothing did have to change.

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They agree together that they’ll keep their marks a secret. They tell the rest of the team: being Lucy, Wendy, Happy, and Charle, but remain silent for the guild. The Master was informed, and he swore to secrecy when Gray and Erza told him they didn’t want anything to change.

The Gramps had merely grinned at them. “A good answer.”

Gray and Erza had grinned back, hearts lifted of a burden they didn’t really know they carried.

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As for their relationship, it stays the same as it always has. Erza hasn’t completely let go of Jellal, and Gray hasn’t exactly recovered from breaking Juvia’s heart. It will take a long time for them to accept what fate has in store for them.

Some day though, Gray thinks, when they have both learned to face the future… maybe, just maybe, they will come to be lovers. Maybe, they’ll be proud to reveal their arms to the rest of the world. And they’ll walk hand-in-hand as a couple.

But until then, they’ll stay the same as they always have. They’ll live life, laugh, and love each other not as lovers but as friends for a lifetime. As siblings-in-arms. As people who dictate their own fates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had wanted to do this story with Gray and Juvia, but I felt it would be more impactful if it was with someone different. Someone Gray thinks as a sister more than a lover.


	2. Juvia and Lyon: Bound Neither by Fate nor Heart

The day Gray confesses his soulmark to her, she leaves Magnolia. She went straight to the station, bought some miscellaneous ticket to who-knows-where, and hopped on the next train. 

It isn’t that she’s depressed, nor is it that she despises Gray; she just doesn’t know how to face him without staring at his arm. She knows it's selfish of her, to avoid him when his soulmate wasn’t her, but she simply couldn’t continue being around him. The very fact of being in the same room as both Gray and Erza would suffocate her.

She needed a physical leave to collect her thoughts and rid herself of the disgusting emotions directed towards the scarlet woman. 

To be honest, she fully knew that she could continue striving for Gray’s love, regardless of the mark. Juvia has no doubt she can love him (she still does, anyway) even with fate screaming at her. 

But she’s also certain she’ll never feel comfortable, knowing that someone else will always be a better fit. Even if Gray does end up loving her, cuddling her and showering her with love, a part of her mind will always wander to his arm. Always think _“when will he be bored of her? When will fate pull them apart? When will he fall in love with Erza?”_

She can’t bear the thought of such an unstable, ugly life. Not ugly in Gray, but in her. In what she will think and do when she’s pushed to her limits by the mere thought of what was meant to be.

For the first time in her life, she hates that she’s a romantic. If she were any less of one, she’s certain she can ignore all the facts and love Gray with all her heart. If she wasn’t a romantic, she wouldn’t give a damn about what adorns his arm. 

She would be free of the chains, which she so believed was a beautiful string of love, called fate. She would be free to live her life unperturbed and of her own will.

Alas, she can’t. Because Juvia Lockser, in all of her pitiful self, was a romantic. To the very core she will always be one. And it will always be her burden.

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Whatever ticket she bought, she figures she made a good choice. The town the ticket takes her is quiet and homely. It’s not dead, but it certainly isn’t lively either. The residents are all of the older generation; wise and calm in the way they welcome her.

Juvia’s the first actual visitor they’ve had in years, they had told her. Most of the people who come are either doctors, merchants, or relatives of one of the townsfolk. It’s nice, they say, to have a fresh young face to meet in what seems like ages.

Juvia’s heart is a little bit warmer when she talks to them. They are all kind and offer her a place to stay when they see dark, tumbling clouds above.

She doesn’t tell them that she might be the one who brought the storm.

Regardless, she takes up the offer and follows one of the elderly women back to her small home. 

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She stays in the village for a few days, helping out with the small chores the elderly are too old to do. Juvia’s since learned to control her emotions, focusing on whatever mundane task in front of her so the elders can actually have a day of sunlight.

It’s surprisingly calming, she realizes, to be with these people. They aren’t rushing her to do anything, and she’s free to act and live at her own pace. 

Juvia doesn’t realize just how tired she is until she lives here. She realizes that she’s always been running; more often than not running to keep up with the other Fairy Tail members. Chasing after their gallant, heroic forms as they move forward in life. Dashing to ensure that her beloved Gray-sama is still within reach of her fingers. 

Making sure her fast-paced friends don’t slip through her grasp and leave her alone. She knows they wouldn’t leave her for a heartbeat, but she still feels like running a marathon to keep up. To not drag them down.

And that very thought made her so unbearably tired.

Not for the first time since arriving at the town, she thinks it might be a good thing Gray had a soulmark that isn’t her.

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On the eighth day of her stay, Juvia realizes she’s probably imposed on the villagers for too long. They shake their heads, exclaiming that she was never a bother at all, that they are actually happy they get to pamper a young guest.

She spends much of the morning trying to convince them that it would be best for her to leave. She’s in the middle of bantering when a voice calls out to her.

“Juvia…?”

The musky, deep baritone is unmistakable, and she flips around in surprise to greet the familiar face.

“Lyon-sama…?”

The said man is looking with widened eyes and a baffled face. He’s about to open his mouth to speak, when several of the villagers rush to welcome him.

“Oh, Lyon! Welcome!”

“You didn’t push yourself too hard, did you?”

“Good grace, you’ve gotten much more handsome in these past months, haven’t you?”

The elderly surround him with contented faces, ruffling his hair and patting his back. Most of them even forget they were in the middle of getting Juvia to stay.

Lyon lightly pries them off, giving them quick greetings before making his way towards her. He explains quickly to the villagers that she’s a friend, one he hasn’t seen in a long time, and would like them to give them a moment.

The villagers grin, a few raise eyebrows, but they heed his question and disperse. 

When he’s certain no one will interrupt them, he turns his dark eyes to her.

“So… should we find somewhere to talk?”

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“Juvia didn’t think Lyon-sama would come to a town like this.”

The man laughs as he sits beside her. His white hair shakes as he lets out soft chuckles. They’re seated on a park bench a short walk away from the town center, where no one really comes.

He takes a sip of the drink he buys from the town store. 

“Well, it’s more like my refuge, really. I came here for a small job when I first joined Lamia Scale, ‘cause I wanted to start with an easier task closer to the guild.”

It’s only now that Juvia realizes Lamia Scale is only two train stops away from the town.

“And I guess I found a home with the townspeople? I come every few months to visit now. It’s routine at this point.”

Juvia hums in response. 

He gives her a small smile. “I like that it’s slower here. Less rush, rush, rush, if you know what I mean.”

She mirrors his knowing smile. She fully understands what he means. 

“And you, Juvia? I hear you don’t usually come out this way in the country for jobs.”

She flushes at his comment. She wonders if he knows it’s because he’s in this area that she avoids taking jobs around these parts. 

After all, when she was still a bumbling Gray fangirl, Lyon’s hard-pressed affections for her were troubling. Annoying, even.

But, back to the conversation.

“Juvia… wanted to get away from the guild for a while. Something happened, and…”

Lyon hums, but doesn’t prod. Instead, he gets up and stretches.

“Is that so? You planning to go back now? I saw you trying to get out of their grasp just now.”

Juvia laughs at his words.

“You could say that. But no, Juvia doesn’t want to go back yet. She was thinking to go somewhere else. Maybe take a vacation around Fiore. She’s never really had the chance to use her savings, after all.”

Lyon turns around, letting out another thoughtful hum. He scratches the back of his neck, and sheepishly gives her a suggestion.

“Well… if you’re not too against the idea… I could take you around? I know quite a few places that might interest you.”

He doesn’t tell her that he had desperately found those places in case she ever visited (though she never did till now). 

Juvia looks at him, the gears shifting as she contemplates his offer. It would be nice to have someone take her around and talk to her.

But this was Lyon, who had fervently chased after her merely a few months ago.

He must have picked up her discomfort, because he immediately retracts a part of his offer.

“It’s fine if you don’t want to. I could just give you the directions to each of them.”

It’s heartbreakingly kind of him to be so considerate of her. Even though she knows he still loves her.

Juvia closes her eyes. She doesn’t want to give Lyon false hopes.

“Juvia’s thankful, Lyon-sama.”

A slight disappointment flickers across his face, and he gives her a light smile.

“I figured. Then, I’ll just…”

“That’s not what Juvia meant, Lyon-sama. Juvia would be glad to have you as a guide. Just, Juvia feels bad that Lyon-sama has to take time off of work for her.”

Lyon laughs at her statement. “Oh, I was taking a vacation anyway. And… don’t worry, Juvia. I won’t raise my hopes because of this.”

God, this man was just too considerate.

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They leave the next day, because it was impossible to reason with the grannies who had insisted on them staying for one more night. 

Juvia expected to ride a carriage or take the train, but Lyon had shook his head.

“Walking is better. It’s really nice around these parts; you’ll miss a lot if you don’t walk.”

She’s glad she listens, because he’s right. The landscape of the countryside was absolutely stunning. She briefly remembers that Lamia Scale was mostly surrounded by rural towns, not unlike the one she was just at. 

So the roads around the notorious guild were quiet places, save for the few odd cities that bustled with young life. It’s a lot calmer than Magnolia, which was always knee-deep in laughter and loud voices. 

Lyon, for his part, is a wonderful guide. He takes her to all of the places he knows, explaining with detail what it is or why it’s there. As the gentleman he is, he takes her only to the best restaurants and the most comfortable inns to stay the night.

He’s so considerate that Juvia promptly forgets this was supposed to be a heartbreak vacation.

He’s also kind enough to remain _only_ a tour guide and occasional friend. He doesn’t probe into her business, and never asks what causes her sudden flashes of unhappiness on their trip, even though she’s sure he’s curious.

It reminds her just why she was so afraid of seeing him. Because he’s far too kind for someone like her, who only ever has enough love to give to Gray. She hates the person she is with him; so selfish and pampered that she _feels_ lazy.

Like she’s dumping all of her responsibilities on him.

Nonetheless, Juvia enjoys the trip much more than she expects. She admits to herself that it’s nice not having to live up to anyone’s expectations (even her own), being able to move to her pace and not having to run to catch up to the people in front of her.

It’s in this trip that she realizes just how different Lyon is to Gray. How they, unlike what others may think, aren’t two peas in a pod at all.

Where Gray only ever looks forward, rushing headfirst into the fray with a proud, confident smile, Lyon is much more thoughtful. Instead of driving himself straight into the conflict, he takes a step back to assess the situation. 

Where Gray would take her wrist and pull her to run with him, Lyon stops and pushes her from behind. He is always a step slower than Juvia, both literally and figuratively.

In the entirety of their trip, he doesn’t ever dictate their pace. It’s always matching with him. He matches her pace with utmost care, though she later realizes he does it unconsciously. There’s never a fast-paced moment, and she finds herself loving it more than ever.

So much she doesn’t want it to end.

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They have travelled together for almost two weeks until Lyon tells her he has to go back to the guild.

“I’m sorry, Juvia. I got a message from the Master that there’s an urgent job needing me. I have to head back to Lamia Scale.”

She hopes with all her heart that her disappointment doesn’t show on her face.

“Of course! Juvia’s kept you too long.”

“...Right. Well, I’ll be leaving tomorrow, so I guess I’ll have one more dinner with you.” 

He grins with all of his handsome charm, and Juvia’s heart skips a beat.

She tries to ignore the fact that it’s been skipping for the past two weeks on a constant basis.

“If Lyon-sama needs to leave earlier, Juvia can certainly eat dinner alone.”

She means it, but she sincerely hopes he’ll stay. Just for a little longer.

Lyon laughs. “Nope, you’re not getting rid of me just yet.”

Juvia grins back. Really grins back.

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Just as he promises, Lyon stays with her for dinner before leaving the next morning. He leaves before she wakes up, so his goodbye is reduced to a neatly written note left at the inn’s front counter for her.

She’s a little crestfallen that he did have to leave, but his note lifts her spirits.

On the small slip of paper is a kind apology, paired with a promise to make it up to her should she ever come back to the area.

The innkeeper must think she’s gone insane, because she knows that she grins like a madwoman for the remainder of her time there.

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She returns to the guild after two months of leaving. When she walks in, she’s greeted by anxious faces, who bombard her with questions about where she’s been, what happened, and if she’s okay.

She merely smiles and responds that she had simply taken a much needed vacation.

Both Erza and Gray stand apart from the cluster, giving her understanding yet somewhat guilty looks.

If she were still the same girl two months ago, she probably would have turned away. But she isn’t, and she smiles back.

She hopes they realize that they have nothing to feel guilty for.

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It’s Fairy Tail, so Juvia’s swept back into the whirl storm of running and chasing after her guildmates. Only now, she doesn’t let anyone pull her out of her pace.

She runs when she wants to, and declines when she needs a break.

Even with persistent offers for her to join them on a job or a trip of some sort, Juvia kindly refuses and tells them she has other plans.

Now, she prefers doing her jobs solo. Of course, the occasional group trip is still fun, but she doesn’t cling to any team anymore. She also doesn’t follow Gray wherever he goes.

The Master tells her she seems much more livelier than she did before, claiming he’s never seen her so composed and content with life than now.

Juvia couldn’t agree more. 

After so long as a Fairy Tail mage, she was finally learning to live her own life. 

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If anything else major changes, it’s the fact that she takes monthly vacation trips away from Magnolia. Because even if she’s learned to slow down and walk her own speed, she still needs some time away from the hustle and bustle of Magnolia and its surrounding cities.

And her vacation spot is always out in the countryside, near Lamia Scale. 

And it is always with a white-haired ice mage by her side, as her own personal tour guide and trusted companion.

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Juvia tells him, on one of the many trips they take together, why she had gone on her first trip to begin with. 

Lyon had listened, face unchanging as she slowly explained, bit-by-bit her and Gray’s story.

Even after, when she found herself suddenly crying, he didn’t say a thing, only embracing her and patting her head. 

As cheesy as it sounds, she doesn’t think she’ll forget how warm he had felt; the way she melted in his arms. It had felt like she was a baby again, cradled by the warmth of her parents who held her close.

It felt like she was where she was supposed to be, in his steady arms with his hushed voice muttering words of comfort into her ear.

She later notes that, despite crying her eyes out that day, it doesn’t rain a single drop outside.

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Somewhere along the way, Juvia frighteningly realizes that she has begun to long for something. Something she had sworn she’ll never turn to ever again.

Yet she begins to find herself staring at her arm every other day, her heart wishing and praying for something to appear.

Desperately hoping that maybe, just maybe, fate will be kinder to her this time around.

She also finds herself constantly looking at her white-haired companion’s arm every time she takes a vacation with him.

And she begins to become afraid.

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It’s gone to the point that it drives her nuts. She doesn’t want to be pulled by fate any longer. She doesn’t want to be a romantic anymore. She’s done with all of this “fated-to-be” business. She wants to live the life she chooses, not some stupid tattoo.

But she knows, deep down, that she’ll never recover if she sees a pattern she doesn’t want to see on her beloved vacation companion. She won’t ever forgive the world if someone else takes her beloved away from her. 

After all this time, she finally found the courage to love another man; if fate tears him away from her too, she’ll be crushed.

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It first comes as an itch. An irritable itch on her forearm, beneath her wool sleeves. She tries desperately to wave the passing thought of _don’t tell me it’s…_ and continues her duties for the day.

She has to take at least twenty deep breaths before she’s ready to brave the unveiling. Somewhere in the back of her mind she hopes that whatever she sees will simply be pale skin. 

But an even larger part of her clings to the hope that a pattern will be there; a pattern that will let her drive all of her love and passion to the one she’s fallen for.

One more sharp intake of breath, and she slowly rolls up her sleeves.

She gasps.

It’s the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen. Juvia doesn’t even think Gray’s sword and ribbon could compare. The painting on her arm is breathtaking, awe-inspiring in its delicate glory.

On her pale skin, were two light green-blue eagles, shining in crystalline elegance, flying towards some far off destination. Around them was a shower of other white flecks, making the eagles seem as though they were soaring through the skies in all the freedom they have.

Juvia cries more than she’s ever had before that day, cradling her arm to her chest in relief and elatedness.

She’s yelling, _thank God, thank God, thank God_ for more than twenty minutes in her apartment.

And she did so a bit too loudly; so much that Erza and Wendy from the nearby rooms came rushing to see if she was safe.

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The guild, especially Erza and Gray, were happy for her. And she would never forget the thankful faces they had when she told them that she loved the recipient of her soulmark.

She makes it a surprise for the next time she sees Lyon. Even though she’s more than accepted her feelings a long time before her mark manifested, she didn’t dare tell Lyon. So they weren’t officially lovers, even though her guildmates (who had found out by accident when Laxus and his team had bumped into one of her vacation trips with Lyon) begged to differ. 

Lyon also never brought the topic up, though he had braved many kisses on her cheeks and hugged her whenever they parted.

She assumes that they both never had the confidence to put their love into words. 

Now, though, she’s more than ready. There’s no longer anything that will make her anxious, as much as she hates relying on soulmarks again. Nothing to stop her from loving Lyon Vastia with everything she has.

She takes extra care to keep her giddiness from showing, carefully planning a quiet dinner to tell him.

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Lyon is slack jawed and staring at her, blush rising from the tip of his chin to the edges of his ears. He stares long and hard at the artwork, as though making sure it doesn’t suddenly change form in front of him.

He chokes up when she prods him to speak. “God, I… I didn’t think… Oh jeez.”

Juvia laughs at his flabbergasted look, something she’s only ever seen once or twice her whole time with him.

“Is Lyon-sama happy, then…?” She teases, watching as he flushes deep red, turning from calm and handsome to flustered and cute.

He can’t find the words to answer, but she already knows.

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A year after she moves in with him, in a small cottage in between their two guilds, he shows her with pride his own arm.

And she laughs and cries and laughs while she strokes the gorgeous blue raindrops on his skin. She’s never felt so elated.

Of course, being the perfect person he is, Lyon doesn’t let her stop crying. 

Because right after, he drops to one knee and presents her with the most stunning ring she’s ever seen.

And asks for her to love him for the rest of eternity.

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh, this was a long one. I have always had a soft spot for Lyon and Juvia as a pairing, so I’m glad they finally got a story out of me. Alas, this ended up being more Juvia-centric than intended. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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